• Analysis
Édouard Philippe rejects centre-right primary for French presidential election
Édouard Philippe, the Horizons candidate and former prime minister, ruled out competing in a centre-right primary on Sunday, dismissing the vote proposed by rival Gabriel Attal to pick a single right-wing candidate for the French presidential election.
A proposal from Attal, turned down on television
The centre-right primary was put forward last week by Gabriel Attal, a rival candidate and another former prime minister under Emmanuel Macron, as a way of choosing a single candidate for the French presidential election. Édouard Philippe ended the discussion on Sunday evening, telling TF1's news programme that he would not take part.
"I don't think this primary will take place," Philippe told TF1. He argued the vote would only produce "division" and "confusion".
His call to the centre-right candidates
Rather than a primary, Philippe said the candidates should live up to their "responsibilities" and settle on their approach by February. The rejection was read as a message that badly polling candidates should step aside for stronger ones.
Where the centre-right race stands
Philippe served as prime minister under Emmanuel Macron from 2017 to 2020 and now carries the Horizons party banner. His refusal comes from a position of strength within his camp:
- •He is polling ahead of his centre-right rivals.
- •Marine Le Pen of the National Rally currently leads the national polls.
- •Jean-Luc Mélenchon of France Unbowed is also performing strongly.
The road to April
The first round of the presidential election is set for April 18, with the run-off between the two leading candidates on May 2.
